CABARRUS COUNTY, NC (WBTV) - Rescuers in Cabarrus County say they found a missing woman lying in a ravine Wednesday morning with a dog that had apparently remained at her side through the entire ordeal.

Dorothy Schnabel, an Alzheimer's patient, was located lying in the water in a ravine not far from her home and taken to the hospital, according to the Cabarrus County Sheriff's Office.

With her was her faithful dog Duchess, a brown Doberman who was herself, a rescued dog. Apparently Duchess stayed by her all night.

Deputies from the Cabarrus County Sheriff's Office, the Sheriff's Office Special Vehicle Response Team (SVT), the Fire Marshal's Office, the Cabarrus County Land Search team consisting of members from the following fire departments: Allen, Mt. Mitchell, Northeast, Mt. Pleasant and Harrisburg were all part of the effort.

One major contributor to the success of the search was the North Carolina Highway Patrol's helicopter, the Sheriff's Office said. There is no way to determine how much longer this search could have continued and what the outcome would have been for Mrs. Schnabel if not for their assistance.

Ask your vet about microchipping. ~ It could have saved Kuhio's life. And it cost Halo hers.Ask your vet about Polycystic kidney disease ~~ Rest in peace WillyLoved by Lisa

One morning I found an envelope on my desk at work with $100 tucked into an unsigned card. I was hosting guests for the weekend and was totally broke, so it was truly a blessing. When I found out that my friend and coworker Elaine had left me the money, I was in tears.
-- Judy McGraw, Pineville, West Virginia

Ask your vet about microchipping. ~ It could have saved Kuhio's life. And it cost Halo hers.Ask your vet about Polycystic kidney disease ~~ Rest in peace WillyLoved by Lisa

Three years ago I was looking on Craigslist for a used piano so my 7-year-old son could learn how to play. I found a lovely Victorian piano and called the owner, with whom I really connected over the phone. She decided right then that she was going to give it to me for free because I wanted it for all the right reasons. As if that wasn't enough, she also shipped it to me -- at her own expense! Needless to say I was extremely touched by her kindness and will always be grateful.
-- Fran, Milton, Massachusetts

Ask your vet about microchipping. ~ It could have saved Kuhio's life. And it cost Halo hers.Ask your vet about Polycystic kidney disease ~~ Rest in peace WillyLoved by Lisa

On my walk to work I occasionally see a blind woman walking with her guide dog. One rainy morning I noticed the woman standing at the curb, trying to get her dog to cross the street. But the dog wouldn't budge because there was a big puddle. The woman seemed confused and frustrated. Then a man came over to her and said, "Hello, ma'am. Your dog doesn't want to cross because there's a puddle. Take my hand and I'll help you cross the street and keep your feet dry." I actually teared up. It made my day to see such a kind gesture.
Kate, Dumont, New Jersey

Ask your vet about microchipping. ~ It could have saved Kuhio's life. And it cost Halo hers.Ask your vet about Polycystic kidney disease ~~ Rest in peace WillyLoved by Lisa

SCHOOLTEACHER GEOFF HALEY, 50
His dog trapped in a drain, a loyal owner digs him out

Their daily walks near home in Medomsley, England, were a relaxing ritual for schoolteacher Geoff Haley and his mixed-breed Lakeland-Border terriers Billy and Ben. But on the afternoon of May 3, Ben suddenly darted into the woods. "I thought he might be chasing a rabbit," says Haley. But when Ben didn't return after several hours, adds Haley, "I knew he had met with some kind of trouble."

Haley's best guess was that Ben had disappeared into a long-disused 18-in. drainpipe that had so fascinated the dog that Haley had blocked it repeatedly with .wire fencing. But sure enough, the fencing was gone. Investigating, Haley discovered the pipe had recently been connected to the drainage lines of a new subdivision. When he and a friend, John Bell, began lifting manhole covers from a newly built road directly over the pipe, their worst fears were confirmed. "I listened at the drain," recalls Bell, 61, "and I could hear Ben yapping."

Firemen tried to dislodge the dog with a high-powered stream of water, but that didn't work. Finally, Haley, along with wife Bobbie, 50, daughter Helen, 24, and a group of volunteers, took matters into their own hands. "I couldn't wait," says Haley. "I didn't know how much air Ben had, and any rain would have drowned him." Throughout the night they dug up more than a foot of tarmac and concrete, then broke through the pipe itself. Friends lowered Haley headfirst into the pipe but he still couldn't free the dog—and the hole was caving in. It wasn't until 8 a.m. when a construction crew arrived for work that the hole was widened and Ben was freed. "He was stuck in goo like the cork in a wine bottle," recalls Haley. "It took a massive heave to get him out."

With no more damage than a dirty coat, Ben, after a brief turn in the family shower, was soon wagging his tail but offering no word on what had prompted his excursion. "He's a bit of a daft dog," says Haley affectionately. "What possessed him that day is a mystery."

Ask your vet about microchipping. ~ It could have saved Kuhio's life. And it cost Halo hers.Ask your vet about Polycystic kidney disease ~~ Rest in peace WillyLoved by Lisa

Whenever I have loose change in my pocket and am riding the bus, I leave my loose change with the bus driver to give to anyone who might try to get on the bus later and is short on bus fare. Such an easy way to help!

Ask your vet about microchipping. ~ It could have saved Kuhio's life. And it cost Halo hers.Ask your vet about Polycystic kidney disease ~~ Rest in peace WillyLoved by Lisa

As usual, Jill Cook's post at North Crystal Lake Drive and Lowry Avenue in Lakeland, Fla., was busy on the morning of Aug. 16. With Cook's guidance, 7-year-old Amber Stringer had just stepped onto the curb, with her big brother Tony, 10, lagging close behind. But before he could reach the safety of the sidewalk, a pickup truck, out of nowhere, came speeding toward him. Instinctively, Cook pushed Tony out of the way. But she had no time to save herself, and the truck struck her with terrible force. "She flew up, landed on the hood, hit the windshield, and when the truck stopped it threw her off," says Christine Stringer, Amber and Tony's mother, who saw what happened from her nearby backyard and rushed to Cook's side. "I thought she was dead." Cook remained conscious but recalls little of the impact. "The only thought I had was, 'Are the kids okay?' " she says. The pain was excruciating, and small wonder. She'd broken her pelvis, right knee, hip, tibia and fibula and five ribs. (Police say driver Chester Lepriol, 28, was doing about 46 mph in a 15-mph zone; charged with criminal reckless driving, he pleaded not guilty.) A retired nurse and widowed mother of six, Cook is staying with her daughter Jennifer, also a nurse, and faces months of rehab. "She may have a limp, but all her fractures should heal," says her surgeon Dr. George Letson.

The grateful Stringers visit Cook often. "There's a special bond," says Christine, 34. Adds Amber: "I love her very much." Cook downplays her heroism and hopes her story serves as a lesson. "That's my whole goal—for people to be more cautious," she says. "Obey those flashing lights. Don't put on makeup while driving. Don't read the newspaper. Please be careful."

Ask your vet about microchipping. ~ It could have saved Kuhio's life. And it cost Halo hers.Ask your vet about Polycystic kidney disease ~~ Rest in peace WillyLoved by Lisa

When Cynthia Stafford won $112 million in the California lottery, she couldn't wait to start paying it forward. Her involvement in the children's outreach programs at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles has helped bring the joys of theater to thousands of underprivileged kids.

Ask your vet about microchipping. ~ It could have saved Kuhio's life. And it cost Halo hers.Ask your vet about Polycystic kidney disease ~~ Rest in peace WillyLoved by Lisa

DEAL ISLAND, Md. (WMAR) -- A 46-year-old man swam for more than 5 hours in order to get help for his family that had been ejected from their boat near Deal Island.

At about 7:00 p.m., the boat that John Riggs, 70, was driving with 4 others onboard was swamped by waves during a storm about 3 miles off shore. The 16 foot Carolina Skiff was swamped by waves inside the vessel and over the stern.

When the boat took on water all occupants put on their life jackets. The water in the boat caused it to partially sink and roll over, sending everyone into the water. All five held onto the boat.

At about 7:30 p.m., John Franklin Riggs, 46, decided to swim for help and finally reached the shore at about 1:00 a.m., and knocked on the door of the closest home for help.

Emergency personnel were able to locate the vessel at about 3:00 a.m. All subjects were treated at the scene.

The occupants of the boat are family members and range in age from 70 to 3-years-old. Life jackets and a quick response by multiple jurisdictions are being credited for the safe rescue of all involved.

Ask your vet about microchipping. ~ It could have saved Kuhio's life. And it cost Halo hers.Ask your vet about Polycystic kidney disease ~~ Rest in peace WillyLoved by Lisa

From Chicago Tribune: Last request leads to $500 tip for waitress

'Are you kidding?' Last request leads to $500 tip for waitress
By Michelle Manchir

Tribune reporter

8:08 AM CDT, July 12, 2013

Vanessa Goldschmidt said it had been a slow night at the pod of tables she was in charge of serving at Pequod's Pizza in Lincoln Park on Thursday.

The night quickly became a memorable one when, after cashing out one $45 tab, she was handed a $500 tip.

She was the latest unsuspecting restaurant server to experience Aaron Collins' last wish.

The Collins family began distributing $500 tips last year after the 30-year-old committed suicide in his hometown of Lexington, Ky.

The last line of the will that his brother Seth Collins, 33, found on Aaron's desktop computer made clear what he wanted: "Leave an awesome tip (and I don't mean 25 percent. I mean $500 on a (expletive) pizza) for a waiter or waitress."

In Chicago, the gesture unfolded at the pizzeria after Seth Collins had taken the last bite of his tomato and basil deep dish, and Goldschmidt, 34, was ready to cash him out.

"Actually hang on just a second," Collins said, launching into a story about his brother's untimely death and last request.

He handed her a stack of $20 bills along with a printed postcard he made featuring Aaron's name and photo.

It was the 56th time since Aaron Collins' July 7, 2012, death that Seth Collins fulfilled the request from his brother's will.

Seth Collins had posted a video online of what happened when they made the first surprise tip in Kentucky last year. It inspired a wave of donations, and Collins made it his goal to take the experience out of Kentucky and give extravagant tips in all 50 states before Christmas, thus bringing him to Illinois this week.

He set up a nonprofit in Kentucky that he said holds about $60,000 from donors all over the world. To memorialize his brother, Collins said, he wants all the money to go toward gratuities for waiters and waitresses at local restaurants, many of whom are recommended by Facebook users who are following Collins' journey.

Sometimes Collins' parents and sisters attend the big-tip dinners with him, but he's going alone on this road trip, hoping his '99 Altima will keep up with him for 17,000 miles, he said. He has raised $5,600 so far to fund the trip through an Indiegogo campaign online.

Aaron Collins, who constructed homes in Kentucky and fixed computers, was a man who struggled in his life, said his mother, Tina Rae Collins. She wasn't in Chicago this week but said she has attended the tippings 15 to 20 times.

After his death, the family reacted to all the requests they found in his will. One example: They gave the $70 Aaron left behind to homeless people.

The $500 tip request made sense to the family. Taking friends out to dinner and leaving big tips behind was something Aaron Collins did often, his brother said. He got a kick from picking up a big tab at meals, and other random acts of kindness, Seth Collins said.

At family celebrations out, "he would reach down in his own pocket if he didn't think we had left enough," said Tina Rae Collins.

For her, distributing the tips is a way to find comfort in her loss.

"As sad as I am, I can't help but be happy and excited when I see what that little seed that Aaron planted has produced," she said in a phone interview.

"I read a lot of things about grief, about the loss of a child. Pretty much everybody says the only thing that they want is to hear their child's name spoken. They want to know their child meant something. … I don't have to worry about that."

On Thursday night, Goldschmidt, of Chicago, said the money would probably be used for her rent and other bills. She works full time at the pizzeria, relying heavily on tips, she said.

"It was just like another Thursday night, coming into work, hoping for the best. It's a slow night," Goldschmidt said after receiving the cash. "I'm just taken aback. It's such an amazing gesture."

Milwaukee, St. Paul and Des Moines are the next cities on Collins' list to visit.

"It'll never get old," Seth Collins said.

I've been Boo'd... right off the stage!

Aaahh, I have been defrosted! Thank you, Bonny and Asiel!
Brrrr, I've been Frosted! Thank you, Asiel and Pomtzu!

"That's the power of kittens (and puppies too, of course): They can reduce us to quivering masses of Jell-O in about two seconds flat and make us like it. Good thing they don't have opposable thumbs or they'd surely have taken over the world by now." -- Paul Lukas

CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. —A Cranberry Township man who made a commitment to saving dogs said he never realized how one of those dogs would end up saving him.

Photos: Chloe the dog to the rescue A Cranberry Township man who made a commitment to saving dogs never realized how one of those dogs would end up saving his life.

Chuck Weintraub suffered a heart block while he was cutting grass at his home on Peace Street. He wasn't getting oxygen to his brain and passed out, and that's when his foster dog, Chloe, came to his aid.

"I was out cutting the grass. I don't remember anything except cutting the front yard, and the next thing I know, it was three days later," he said.

Weintraub works at the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society, where he met Chloe. The dog had only been with him for six weeks.

"Chloe was extremely sick when she came -- traumatized, couldn't be around people, just curled up from the world," he said.

But when Weintraub collapsed, Chloe went across the street and alerted neighbor Michael Brock. "I ran around to get a leash to collar the dog and she let me get close enough, which she normally doesn't, and she backed off in an increment of 15 or 20 feet," said Brock.

Brock said the dog backed off at least five more times, leading him to the back yard. "All the dogs backed away instead of greeting me like they normally do, and I was trying to pet them and I saw the bottom of Chuck's shoes," he said.

Neighbor Charleen Deneen, a registered nurse, administered CPR. "I had my windows still open and heard the concern in everyone's voice, and when I heard, 'Call 911,' I thought, 'OK, I have to go up the hill,'" she said.

Many people came to the rescue, but Chloe surprised Weintraub in the most unexpected way.

"And now, what you see, she's an interesting and inquisitive little girl," he said, adding that he's considering adopting her.

Considering???? Sounds like a no brainer to me.

Ask your vet about microchipping. ~ It could have saved Kuhio's life. And it cost Halo hers.Ask your vet about Polycystic kidney disease ~~ Rest in peace WillyLoved by Lisa

Two teenage boys are being hailed as heroes after they chased a car carrying a kidnapped girl -- on their bicycles.

Five-year-old Jocelyn Rojas was playing in her front yard in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, when she vanished Thursday afternoon. Authorities believe she was abducted by a man who lured her by offering ice cream.

For two hours, neighbors and police scoured the area and asked if anyone had seen her.

Temar Boggs, 15, and his friend took off on their bicycles to search.

About a half-mile away, they spotted Jocelyn in a sedan. But the driver was elusive.

The two teens chased the alleged kidnapper on their bikes for 15 heart-pounding minutes. The driver apparently knew he was being followed and gave up.

"He stopped at the end of the hill and let her out, and she ran to me and said that she needed her mom," Temar said.

Jocelyn's relatives and neighbors took turns hugging Temar.

"He's our hero. There is just no words to say," Jocelyn's grandmother Tracey Clay said.

Police are looking for the suspect, described as a white male between 50 and 70 years old. He was driving a reddish-purple or maroon car with round taillights, WGAL reported. The man was wearing green shoes, green pants and a red-and-white striped shirt. He walked with a limp.

Although the suspect remains at large, Temar feels good about finding Jocelyn.

"I just feel like I did something very accomplishing today," the teen said.

The girl's family couldn't agree more.

Ask your vet about microchipping. ~ It could have saved Kuhio's life. And it cost Halo hers.Ask your vet about Polycystic kidney disease ~~ Rest in peace WillyLoved by Lisa

Firefighters rescue ducklings who fell through a sewer grate

I heard about this on the radio, way to go Palos Heights FPD and the people who called them!

(From the Chicago Tribune)

Three Palos Heights firefighters this week rescued a mother duck and her ducklings who snarled traffic while trying to cross Harlem Avenue before eight of the brood fell through a grated sewer cover as rush hour commuters watched in horror.

The firefighters were called to the scene Thursday evening after bystanders saw the duck and her 10 ducklings step off the curb to cross Harlem near Illinois Highway 83, causing drivers to slam their brakes to allow the flock to pass, said Bryan Mueller, a firefighter with the Palos Heights Fire Protection District.

Their plight worsened as the ducklings, walking single file behind their mother, began to disappear, one-by-one falling through a sewer cover on Harlem. By the time the mother realized some of her brood was missing, eight of them had fallen about six feet into a storm water runoff pipe underneath the grate, Mueller said.

While the bystanders attempted to herd the remaining two ducklings and their mother out of the street and back to the sidewalk, a bystander called the police for help. Two squad cars arrived and attempted to control the southbound traffic, which was beginning to snarl, but neither officer knew how to get the ducklings out of the rain sewer.

The Palos Heights Fire Protection District was called and Mueller said that as they boarded the engine, the chief handed them a large fishing net explaining that they would probably need it for the rescue. "The net was actually purchased just for this type of rescue," Mueller said.

Mueller said he pried open the large sewer cover and spotted the ducklings swimming in circles in the water left from last week's storms. The ducklings, however, were not close enough to bring up by hand.

"This is where the net came in," Mueller said. "We just started scooping them out."

Meanwhile, drivers in the southbound lanes who were unable to move began to become irate, said one witness who works at the Palos Animal Hospital at the corner of Route 83 and Harlem. At one point, the mother duck began to frantically swoop down at the firefighters because she thought they were trying to harm her ducklings, Mueller said.

Two veterinary technicians from Palos Animal Hospital who came out to watch the rescue brought a large plastic kennel to aid the firefighters, Mueller said.

After about 45 minutes, the eight baby ducklings were safely placed into the crate and carried across Harlem where the firefighters found a secluded spot to let them out. Within minutes they were reunited with their mother who had followed them.

Firefighters Matt Gruca and Bryan Mueller and Lt. Adam Casper remained for about an hour to make sure the brood did not try to return to Harlem Avenue.

I've been Boo'd... right off the stage!

Aaahh, I have been defrosted! Thank you, Bonny and Asiel!
Brrrr, I've been Frosted! Thank you, Asiel and Pomtzu!

"That's the power of kittens (and puppies too, of course): They can reduce us to quivering masses of Jell-O in about two seconds flat and make us like it. Good thing they don't have opposable thumbs or they'd surely have taken over the world by now." -- Paul Lukas

CHICAGO (AP) — One minute, 6-year-old Nathan Woessner was scampering up a massive dune in northern Indiana with his dad and a friend. He was gone the next, without a warning or sound.

More than three hours later, rescuers pulled Nathan out from under 11 feet of sand on Friday. He showed no signs of life: He was cold to the touch, had no pulse and wasn't breathing. His limp body was put into the back of a pickup truck, which started toward a waiting ambulance.

The plan was to take him to the hospital rather than the coroner's office, even if he was dead, in order to "give the family and rescue workers hope," La Porte (Ind.) County Chief Deputy Coroner Mark Huffman said Monday.

As the truck bounced over the dune, a medic noticed something astonishing: The boy took a breath. Then, the cut on his head started bleeding. The jolt apparently shocked Nathan's body back to life, Huffman said. Nathan was rushed to the hospital and was crying in the emergency room when Huffman arrived a few minutes later.

"Man, I tell you that was such a great feeling," Huffman said. "This is not something that I as the chief deputy coroner get to report that often. It's an absolute miracle this child survived."

Nathan, of Sterling, Ill., remains in critical condition at the University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children's Hospital, but he is expected to recover and be released in 10 to 14 days, Dr. Tracy Koogler said Monday. Of greatest concern is his lungs, as the amount of sand he breathed in could lead to asthma-like symptoms, she said.

Don Reul, Nathan's grandfather, was getting ready for bed after a long day of tooling around on motorcycles in New York state with his wife and another couple when the phone rang. On the other end was the "hysterical" voice of his daughter, Faith Woessner.

In this July 12, 2013 file photo, Michigan City police and firefighters dig with shovels to r …"She said, 'Dad, Dad, we can't find him, he's under the sand," said Reul, a minister from Galva, Ill.

But he understood little else, and by the time he hung up, he believed that his grandson had fallen on the beach at Indiana Dunes National Seashore and had been pulled into Lake Michigan.

"I said Nathan has died, he's drowned," Reul told his wife.

The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, running for about 25 miles along the southern shore of Lake Michigan, is a popular vacation spot that has long attracted families, hikers and birdwatchers. The dune Nathan fell feet-first into is one of the tallest, the 123-foot-tall Mount Baldy.

Nathan's 8-year-old friend rushed to where his dad and Nathan's dad were, and told them Nathan had vanished. Reul said that by the time Nathan's father found the hole, he could hear his son, but not see him.

The two men frantically dug sand from the spot where Nathan had fallen, but stopped after it was about four feet deep, Reul said, realizing they may have driven Nathan "deeper and deeper." Faith Woessner, meanwhile, was begging people to help them dig.

Michigan City, Ind., firefighters soon arrived and excavating companies brought backhoes and other heavy equipment to try to catch up with the boy, who was still sinking into the sand. According to media reports, the first responders pushed a rod down into the sand in the hopes of finding the boy.

In this July 12, 2013, photo rescue workers with heavy equipment working to free 6-year-old Nathan W …Hours passed without a sign of Nathan. Huffman, the coroner arrived, which Reul said must have been a sure sign that the rescuers feared the worst: It wouldn't be a rescue.

Then, volunteer firefighter Ryan Miller, the vice president of an excavating company, spotted the outline of what looked like a rotten tree about 11 feet down — maybe more — and pushed the rod until it stopped at the boy. Michigan City firefighter Brad Kreighbaum reached down and "felt what he believed to be Nathan's head," Miller said.

It was just in time, as there was no air pocket surrounding Nathan.

"He was fully encapsulated in sand," Miller said, noting it took about five firefighters to pull him out.

Once the family heard the boy was bleeding, Reul said, "Hope began to bubble up... that Nathan's not gone."

He was airlifted to the University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children's Hospital from an Indiana hospital Friday night.

"I expected him to arrive much sicker than he did," said Koogler, medical director of the pediatric intensive care unit.

In this July 12, 2013, photo rescue workers with a stretcher carrying 6-year-old Nathan Woessner aft …Nathan was sedated so doctors could remove as much of the sand in his lungs as possible. She said Monday doctors don't see any more sand particles, but believe some is still in there.

Doctors also said early neurological tests didn't reveal any brain damage; Nathan can move his arms, legs, fingers and toes. Koogler also said Nathan's eyes appear to be fine, adding he must have had closed them while buried in the sand.

She said the biggest concern remains the boy's lungs, telling reporters Monday that Nathan could develop asthma-like symptoms in the months to come, but that the injury to his lungs was "not nearly as severe as I expected it to be."

Koogler said if Nathan continues to recover at the same rate, he would likely be taken off the ventilator by the end of the week and released from the hospital in 10-14 days, but may need another month in a rehab facility.

In six months, she said, 'I'm hoping that he's going to be acting like a normal 6- to 7-year-old, riding a bicycle, doing what a normal 6- or 7-year-old does."

Reul said that before he and his wife heard anything about his grandson, he experienced sharp, stabbing pains in his chest. Reul was not ready to say Monday that those pains happened at approximately the time his grandson fell into the sinkhole.

But he was sure of what happened after: "It is a miracle."

Ask your vet about microchipping. ~ It could have saved Kuhio's life. And it cost Halo hers.Ask your vet about Polycystic kidney disease ~~ Rest in peace WillyLoved by Lisa